Sexual Life Improvement and Nutrition Influence

31 December, 2013
|
Written by Recuperat-ion Recuperat-ion

We haved interviewed Md. Fernanda Pereza Godoy, urologist and Susana Cañellas, psycologist. Both specialists in sexologyn they explain us the aim of the Climax project, as the influence of nutrition in our sexual life.

Can you explain what the Climax Project
is all about?
The Climax
Project is a series of seminars that we have run in various cities with the aim
of providing information about anything and everything relating to sexuality,
in a serious and scientific manner. It is also a chance to get support
and advice about any doubts, unease, dissatisfaction or unhappiness relating to
sex.
The primary objective is to help women and
their partner experience pleasure through a healthy, full and satisfying
sex-life and we provide simple and applicable resources based on our clinical
experience. To do so, we have designed a series of activities targeted at
anyone who is interested in understanding and enhancing their sexuality.
Achieving satisfactory sexual
relationships is an art and it implies that you should be able to establish a
dialogue through your bodies, giving and receiving, talking about your needs
and desires, allowing yourself to enjoy the moment, thinking about your partner
with love, respect and responsibility. To understand all this, we analyse
medical and psychological aspects related to sexuality such as how one
experiences their sexuality during the different stages of life and of relationships;
these things are rarely expressed and discussed openly.
How many seminars have you organized?
We only started with this activity this
year so it is still a new project. The first seminar was held in CaixaForum
Palma de Mallorca, and the second was in CaixaForum Barcelona.

The next one will be in Malaga in the
headquarters of the Colegio de Médicos
[Medical Board] on the 8th of February 2014 and that will be followed by other
cities including Madrid, Seville, Valencia, and Bilbao.

There is a lot
of information around about how you can improve your sex-life. Do you think
that couples are better informed today than in the past? Do you notice an
evolution and if so, how?
It’s true that couples are better informed
but that doesn’t mean that they have all the answer or that they don’t have
problems and doubts. I can tell you that they come into the clinic with a well-developed
understanding of sexual terminology and they know the correct names for the
sexual organs and their functions. This has allowed an evolution, however, we
believe that at this time we are being bombarded by a huge amount of diverse
information about sex – some of it is erroneous – which gives rise to doubts
and insecurities. This comes along with all the myths and fallacies – both
classical and more modern variations – which create anxiety and stop us from
experience our sexuality to the full.
So, we consider it to be necessary and
effective to provide this information in a manner which is scientific and
professional but enjoyable and open at the same time. We let people know which
information is correct and which isn’t; part of our work is to ensure that
people feel better and are adequately informed.
What are the most frequent doubts and
questions?
There is a lot of interest in how to talk
about sexuality with one’s children and how to get the message across to
teenagers. Parents need the knowledge and skills to be able to educate their
children about sex, how to cope with their psychosexual development, deal with
any questions they may have, and so on.
Another subject of interest is sexual
desire. What should you do when one of you is suffering from a low sex drive? How
can you stimulate desire during the menopause? Do these types of problem affect
men as well?
Many of the questions are related to the
relationship between the couple. It is obvious that the quality of the
relationship has direct repercussions on their sex lives. In the event of
problems, what can be done to resolve conflict? How can communication be
improved?
We are also asked questions about erectile
dysfunction and premature ejaculation.
In dealing with these subjects it is
important to remember that good physical and mental health is a pre-requisite
to a satisfying sex life. Specifically, how can diet help?
A fulfilling sex life depends on various
factors: psycho-social factors and, of course, biological ones. In many
instances diet plays an important role in this regard. We aren’t specialists in
nutrition but we do know that diseases such as obesity or being extremely
underweight can have a negative impact on one’s sex life as they may cause
hormonal changes, limit physical posture and movement, lead to exhaustion and
fatigue and can even lead to low self-esteem as a result of the erratic
perception of one’s self-image.

A balanced diet provided macro and micro
nutrients, trace minerals and everything that the body requires to function in
equilibrium or homeostasis. It is part of one’s general health and, having good
health and wellbeing, you can achieve a better performance during sexual
activity. But we are talking in biological terms and a pleasurable and
fulfilling sexual experience depends on other, much more complicated factors.

Does tryptophan – the precursor of
serotonin, known as the “happiness hormone” – have any influence?
The effect of negative moods and physical
fatigue on deterioration in sexual desire is well-known. The stability of
serotonin concentration improves physical wellbeing and feelings of sadness
decrease and this indirectly promotes an increase in sexual desire and
enthusiasm to engage in sexual activity.
We are dealing with a circuit which, once activated, increases desire.
Currently the H1 and H2 serotonin
receptors are being studied as they appear to have an influence on female
sexual desire. With respect to tryptophan as a precursor of serotonin, there is
information about its effect on the synthesis of serotonin and improvement in
general symptoms but a lot of research still needs to be done.
Focusing on sports, how does sex affect
sporting performance?
Physical exercise is scientifically proven
to have benefits for the body which enhance the pleasurable experience of
sexual activity.
Sex as a form of exercise is not the same
as exercise as a way to improve sexual health; this can have positive results
such as increased lubrication, and can even open up new possibilities such as being
capable of trying new positions, for example.
During moderate physical exercise you can
expend the same amount of energy as you do during orgasm, for example. Nowadays
we know that having sexual relations before competition does not have a
detrimental effect; rather it can have a beneficial effect as it is something physiological.
The relationship between sport and sex is positive in both directions.